Unintentional Dialogues

Generation WE: The Movement Begins… on Vimeo on Vimeo

via Generation WE: The Movement Begins… on Vimeo.

My friend, colleague, and supervisor sent this out to his staff:

The Hierarchy Of Digital Distractions | Information Is Beautiful.

In so many ways – I know this is true – on others – I believe that I am completely and utterly a better person for what I do with technology, and the connections I have made with so many versatile people.

Questions about my work

• How do I define social justice work?
• Research questions – a lot of them -= how do you distinguish them – what are the sub questions – research question 1, 1a, b, c…
• Focusing the big question
• what do I mean by experiences? what does it mean?
• what do i mean by mid-level?
• Is this a part of their job? or do they advocate?
• Field professes values around social justice – valuing, doing and implementing are not the same thing… how do mid-level interpret social justice
• compassion fatigue…
• x amount of experience in student affairs
• seasoned == ??
• People who have been in the field for 7-10 years+
• Reshape for a smaller problem statement
• Kim’s word: concomitant

PROBLEM

Updated: September 9, 2009 at 5:50pm

Student affairs professionals are positioned between students and the university’s power structure. Because of this hierarchy, the informal out-of-classroom interactions between students and student affairs professionals are often rich with diverse experiences. Higher education is built upon Eurocentric roots tied to the hierarchal system instituted within the colonial foundation of higher education (Altbach, 2001). The current system continues to privilege Euro-American white students, and has not yet adapted to the steadily diversifying student body. Due to these structures seasoned mid-level student affairs professionals are often stretched between policy, people, and purpose while working towards creating an equitable campus environment.

HGED 615H: Designing

Laura Bestler

Iowa State University

September 9, 2009

Research Questions

What I really want to know….

• What is the impact of compassion fatigue on student affairs professionals working toward social justice on their campus?

• Why do student affairs professionals work towards social justice? (Why do they do what they do?)
• How do student affairs professionals feel while breaking down barriers for social justice? Do these feelings effect their work?
• How do student affairs professionals strive for social justice on their campuses?
• How do student affairs professionals face the barriers in higher education?
• How do student affairs professionals feel when they have accomplished social justice on their campus?

Problem

Student affairs professionals are positioned between students and the university’s power structure. Because of this hierarchy, the informal out-of-classroom interactions between students and student affairs professionals are often rich with diverse experiences. Higher education is built upon Eurocentric roots tied to the hierarchal system instituted within the colonial foundation of higher education (Altbach, 2001). The current system continues to privilege Euro-American white students, and has not yet adapted to the steadily diversifying student body. Due to these structures student affairs professionals are often stretched between policy, people, and purpose while working towards creating an equitable campus environment.

Purpose

The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore what student affairs professionals experience while doing social justice work in higher education through narrative inquiry.

References

Altbach, P. G. (2001). The American academic in comparative perspective. In P. G. Altbach, P. J. Gumport, & D. B. Johnstone (Eds.), In defense of American higher education (pp. 11-37). Baltimore, MD: The John Hopkins University Press.

Young, I. (1990). Justice and the politics of difference (16-65). Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Violence
Against the spirit, body and soul… being censored – internally oppressed – it kills your spirit – being able to speak, not being able to say what they wanted to in the past — Yosso is an example of someone who writes about microaggression

Cultural Imperialism
Other – stereotyping, erasure, stigmatizing, foundational works across multiple disciplines to understand the topic — going through to take a look at authors – examples, and go back – we could not necessarily come up with something specific – how US history is taught in schools – and how it stigmatizes – who is in power – who is writing the books – buying the books – who engages in it. When you are being oppressed you cannot see it sometimes -

Developing the problem statement:
Beginning:

Problem:
The Impact of Compassion Fatigue on Social Justice Allies in Student Affairs
What is the impact of compassion fatigue on student affairs professionals social justice allies

Although,

Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

The problem
people get burnt out
people feel alone
people overwhelmed

PROBLEM:

1. FIRST: Eurocentric higher educational systems within higher education do not meet the needs of diverse student populations. Student affairs professionals are often stretched between policy, people, and purpose while working towards creating an equitable environment.
2. SECOND: The needs of diverse student populations are not being met due to the Eurocentric higher educational systems. Student affairs professionals are often stretched between policy, people, and purpose while working towards creating an equitable environment.
3. THREE: FROM MY CAPSTONE WHICH MAY INFORM THE PROBLEM: Student affairs professionals are positioned between students and the university’s power structure. “Student affairs professionals, especially those at upper levels of the administration, have some level of power that students do not share” (Broido & Reason, 2005, p. 25). Because of this hierarchy, the informal out-of-classroom interactions students student affairs professionals are often rich with diverse experiences. Higher education is built upon Eurocentric roots tied to the hierarchal system instituted within the colonial foundation of higher education (Altbach, 2001). The current system continues to privilege Euro-American white students, and has not yet adapted to the steadily diversifying student body. Social justice is imperative for transforming institutional structures to better meet the needs of all students. Yet, support systems do not exist for student affairs professionals striving for social justice on their campuses.
4. FOUR: Student affairs professionals are positioned between students and the university’s power structure. Because of this hierarchy, the informal out-of-classroom interactions between students and student affairs professionals are often rich with diverse experiences. Higher education is built upon Eurocentric roots tied to the hierarchal system instituted within the colonial foundation of higher education (Altbach, 2001). The current system continues to privilege Euro-American white students, and has not yet adapted to the steadily diversifying student body. Due to these structures student affairs professionals are often stretched between policy, people, and purpose while working towards creating an equitable environment.

PURPOSE:

1. FIRST: The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the impact of compassion fatigue on student affairs professionals working towards social justice in higher education through narrative inquiry.
2. SECOND: The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore how compassion fatigue impacts student affairs professionals working towards social justice in higher education through narrative inquiry.
3. ***THIRD: The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore what student affairs professionals experience while doing social justice work in higher education through narrative inquiry.

===================================
RESEARCH QUESTIONS: What I really want to know….

• What is the impact of compassion fatigue on student affairs professionals working toward social justice on their campus?
• How do student affairs professionals feel while breaking down barriers for social justice? Do these feelings effect their work?
• How do student affairs professionals strive for social justice on their campuses?
• How do student affairs professionals face the barriers in higher education?
• Why do student affairs professionals work towards social justice? (Why do they do what they do?)
• How do student affairs professionals feel when they have accomplished social justice on their campus?

====================================
Bloomberg & Volpe (2008)

The potential audience. Who would appreciate the worth of my study? Who would care enough to read it? Who would be interested?

The intellectual value and worth of the study. What, if any, is the wider significance of this research? Who would benefit by this study? Would a study in this area contribute to an ongoing conversation in a particular social science discipline or applied field? Would the study generate theoretical and/pr conceptual understanding? What, if anything, would be the significance for policy? Will the study contribute to the development of professional practice?

Personal and professional goals. Will this study further my personal and professional interests? Will it enhance my career and/or career change? Will the research problem sustain my interest over the ensuing months and years?

Ethical considerations. Does the research involve practices or strategies that might embarrass or harm participants? Are there any political risks to others or me in reporting fairly and accurately the findings and outcomes of the potential study?

Research paradigm

• Constructivist, critical theory/advocacy

Genre of inquiry

Narrative inquiry

Researcher role

• Adopts an emic (insider) point of view
• Seeks to discover and understand meaning of experience
• Adopts a flexible stance and is open to change
• Is reflective about own voice and perspective
• Acknowledges personal values, and brings own experience to bear on the study
• Is active and involved

Research design

• Inductive: research is about “idea generation”
• Design is proposed up front, but is open and emergent, rather than rigid and fixed to permit exploration
• Small samples are selected purposefully

Here I go… I am starting a new blog space for me to let everyone in the world know what I am doing, where am I going, and more… How do I say this? who knows what will happen a year from now, and I have to be okay with it. I do know I have mini-deadlines right now – to get my Capstone done within the next few months, and to get 3 chapters of my dissertation done by December 9, 2009. Can you imagine?

I have been overwhelmed with what is happening in my out of academic life – so having to balance all of it is exhausting to think about -yet, I know I will be okay… you know?